1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communication, and in particular, to managing wireless communication between apparatuses based on computed link performance.
2. Background
The proliferation of wireless communication functionality in various apparatuses has spawned advantages to users that have, in turn, revealed obstacles to implementation. For example, many users now enjoy the ability to perform tasks that were previously not achievable. These tasks were previously unachievable not only because apparatuses did not have the ability to communicate via wireless communication, but also because wireless communication protocols could not provide the capacity, security, quality of service (QoS) demanded by users. It has now become almost assumed that all wireless apparatuses, regardless of operational limitations, that are able to communicate via one or more wireless communication mediums deliver performance equivalent to the wired operation of possibly much more robust machinery.
In this pursuit, manufacturers often attempt to leverage a multitude of different wireless transports within the same apparatus. For example, mobile communication devices may operate under strict space, power and processing limitations. To circumvent these limitations, various wireless transports may be supported in the same apparatus to perform specialized tasks. While long-range transports (e.g., cellular) may be utilized for most communication activities, the use of these transports may cost more due to operating in regulated bandwidth, may utilize more power regardless of the task, and may not be appropriate for some environments like the inside of a structure. Thus, short-range transports may be also employed in the same apparatus. Most short-range transports operate in unregulated bandwidth, which is cheaper to implement. Further, each short-range transport may have characteristics (low power, low capacity, security, low hardware overhead) that makes some transports more appropriate for particular activities.
However, the expansion of short-range communication operation in unregulated bandwidth has resulted in interference problems. More specifically, apparatuses operating in unregulated bandwidth already have to deal with environmental “noise” (interference) emanating from other wireless communication transmitters and non-communication-related signal sources (e.g., fields from electronic and electromechanical devices). The noise is then made worse by an exponentially expanding category of wireless-enabled apparatuses operating in this bandwidth. In such difficult conditions the benefits of operating using short-range wireless transports may be greatly reduced if resources must be consumed due to retransmission. Such situations negatively impact the overall QoS that an apparatus can provide, resulting in negative user experience.